Oxytocin and breastfeeding: Elucidation of a molecular mechanism

Oxytocin is indispensable for developing the social brain. Suckling babies absorb oxytocin from mother’s milk, but gut closure occurs soon after birth to prevent uptake of undesired and desired macromolecules. Researchers have found that the molecule RAGE, on the intestinal epithelium, transports oxytocin into the blood even after gut closure. This finding suggests the advantage of breastfeeding and oral oxytocin administration to increase its concentration in blood and mother-child bond.